Wales Dessert Great British Menu

Please!

This week on Great British Menu,

three of Wales' finest chefs.

Ah!

Returning contender Mary Ann Gilchrist...

This is all-out war.

..ambitious young gun Andy Beaumont....

Wahey. We're back on schedule.

..and former military man David Kelman...

-BLEEP

-sake.

-BLEEP.

..are fighting it out for the honour of cooking at a banquet

at the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral

to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

Yesterday saw the battle of the main courses...

..with David coming out on top with the highest score of the week

so far...

I'm giving you...

a nine.

..leaving Mary Ann in last place, just a point behind Andy.

BLEEP.

Today, it's the dessert course.

The scores are close and the chefs are fighting for survival.

-I think it's my best dish.

-You're scaring me.

But will the pressure become too much?

I can't put only half my dish out.

Time to pray.

The battle of the desserts, eh?

As one chef goes home.

Only two of you can go through to the judges' chamber.

This year, the chefs are paying tribute

to the World War II heroes who fought on the beaches of Normandy

70 years ago.

They've been challenged to produce dishes evoking the spirit

of wartime Britain...

Do you think this dish fits the brief and honours our veterans?

100%.

..and have researched their menus both at home...

They had all literally been shipped out,

and a lot of them must have got killed.

..and abroad.

I've just noticed one of the graves from my regiment.

I just need a little bit of time. It's...very sad.

Judging the chefs this week is a veteran of the competition,

one of Britain's most revered chefs, Michelin starred Angela Hartnett.

The dessert is the last course of this week

celebrating the fact that the war's ended.

It's for these veterans.

You know, it's got to be amazing.

Two points ahead of Andy and three ahead of you, Mary Ann.

Yes, I don't need reminding.

Come back today, and I'm ready for a big battle.

I think today is going to be quite fast and furious in the kitchen.

First up in last place is second timer Mary Ann Gilchrist.

She's been praised for her flavours in dishes inspired by

wartime austerity but has so far fallen down on presentation.

Having scored a seven for her main course,

she's desperate to go all the way today.

I have my sights set on entering the judges' chamber again.

It's a competition, and there's always a loser.

It isn't going to be me.

How are you feeling today?

I'm so pleased with my score yesterday.

THEY LAUGH

It was a delicious dish.

-I know but... You could have picked me up off the floor.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Oh, that's good.

-Gobsmacked.

-What's the dessert called?

Queen Of Puddings.

Inspiration behind it?

-Again, the frugality that went right through the war.

-Yeah.

So nothing wasted.

-The base is breadcrumbs, isn't it?

-Stale breadcrumbs.

-Yeah.

What are you doing with that?

-Heating up some milk infused with lemon rind.

-OK.

The jam is to go on top of the breadcrumb custard.

And what's happening with the vanilla?

The vanilla is going into my ice cream.

OK. So you're making a vanilla ice cream?

-I'm making a raspberry ripple ice cream.

-Ah.

And is that your modern twist?

Yes, because the stuff they had in the war was not ice cream.

-To contain the ice cream...

-Right.

..I'm going to do a tuile basket.

-OK. And are using the glucose for that?

-Glucose, sugar, flour, butter.

Think you're going to get through to the judges' chamber?

I'm going to do my damndest.

Is a classic English pudding, Queen Of Puddings.

Very basic dessert.

But it's something that can be, if it's made well, very delicious.

There's still enough in it for her to go through.

Next up, and just one point ahead of Mary Ann

is 28-year-old newcomer Andy Beaumont.

His menu pays homage to his farming family background

and the vital role they played in World War II.

I really want to be there representing Wales.

I live in Wales. Born and bred.

It just means so much to me to actually get to the final

and get to the banquet.

-How do you feel about yesterday?

-A little disappointed.

-Yeah?

-I thought you were a bit harsh but it's...

-it's all down to opinion at the end of the day.

-Yeah, yeah.

But I've come back and... Fighting spirit.

What's the name of your dessert?

-Great British Blackberry.

-What's the inspiration?

-My aunties were Land Girls during the war.

-Oh, OK.

They ate whatever they could,

and blackberries grew in all the hedgerows

so I'm now going to do four different desserts

-out of blackberry.

-What are the four different desserts

-you're going to do?

-Well, first off, I'm doing a souffle.

-OK.

I'm actually doing a rice pudding base for my souffle...

-Right.

-..which is a bit different.

So that becomes your creme patissiere and thickening agent?

That's the idea, yeah. And then use some sliced bread

and a few fresh blackberries then to make a mini summer pudding.

Right, OK.

Some more of the fresh blackberries then are going to be used to

make a panna cotta.

-Yeah.

-And the last bit then is a sorbet.

What do you think about this, Mary Ann? Lots to do?

-I think he's got a hell of a lot to do...

-Yeah.

-..in the time.

-OK.

So, Andy's making a pudding called Great British Blackberry.

So for me, the big thing is his timing.

He's got four elements to a dessert.

He has to make sure his panna cotta's there,

his summer pudding and his sorbet

are all on his plate before the souffle comes out of the oven.

He's got a lot of pressure he's putting on himself.

Last up is ex-military man David Kelman who pushed

into the lead by two points yesterday

with an impressive score of nine.

After the main course yesterday I'm on a high.

I'm actually just a bit...

I want to just completely nail it today.

-Do you like doing pastry?

-I started off as a pastry chef.

-That's my background.

-OK. So what's the name of your dish?

It's called Lemon and Poppy.

-It's all about remembrance, this dish.

-OK.

I've got a long line of history going back in my family

from the military.

This is the one I want to get right.

-What are you doing?

-So what we'll do -

with the lemons we're going to do a lovely lemon mousse with the eggs,

with the sugar. We'll use a bit of freeze-dried powder,

make a lovely raspberry-hinted sponge to sit the mousse on.

What have you got? Condensed milk. What have you...?

-Oh, evaporated milk.

-It was around a lot during the wartime

so we'll do a lovely evaporated milk ice cream.

Lemon and poppy seed shortbread biscuit with the butter and flour.

And what are all these little gadgets here?

I'm making edible poppies to go on the plate as well.

So lots of ingredients again, David. But this is a bit more simpler.

Is it?! Is it? How many elements?

-There's about four or five.

-Five. Four or five?

-Five. Five.

David's dessert is called Lemon And Poppy.

It rounds off his whole meal which is all about remembrance.

To me, my main worry is he's got too much going on.

And if he did what he did in his fish course and it goes against him,

then that's a worry.

BLEEP.

With just two places in tomorrow's regional final at stake,

all three chefs know that today it's do or die.

I'm going to do everything I can.

Think you can keep that one-point advantage, Andy?

I'll be hot on your heels and hopefully leave Mary Ann behind.

-This is all-out war.

-The battle of the desserts, eh?

Even though I am only two points ahead of Andy and three points

of Mary Ann, all I've got to do is just make one big mistake,

and that's me gone completely.

But I don't plan to let that slip today.

Like David,

Andy's got various complex components to get right today.

His homage to the great British blackberry,

a fruit that was plentiful during the war features a summer pudding,

a sorbet, panna cotta and a souffle.

To do a souffle is not the easiest thing to do, Andy.

-You don't get nowhere if you don't take a risk.

-Well, true. True.

Mary Ann's only doing two elements, she can make us all tea.

Excuse me. I'm doing two and a half elements.

Oh, I do apologise.

-Two and a half elements.

-Quite.

I've got nothing to lose really. I'm giving it everything I've got, and

fingers crossed I'm going to come out of it on top.

Desperate to beat Andy to the judges' chamber, Mary Ann

is attempting to up her presentation today.

She's mixing glucose with flour and butter

to make the delicate tuile baskets for her take on the classic

English dessert, Queen Of Puddings.

Her tuiles go into the oven.

And she turns her attention to her vanilla ice cream which she'll

ripple with raspberry later, before moving on to her lemon custard base.

What's this?

That's the milk infused with the lemon rind vanilla pod.

-And when that's cooled down...

-OK.

-..I can add the egg yolks.

-Yeah.

-Pour them into the moulds, and then straight into the oven.

It's a simple pudding but, you know, it's something that can be,

if it's made well, very delicious.

Determined to push past Mary Ann and David, young gun Andy

is working on the rice pudding base for his blackberry souffle...

..as well as his blackberry panna cotta mix,

to which he adds a special setting agent.

But after his mistakes in the main course, Angela wants to know

if he's on the right track.

-Is that the panna cotta?

-Yeah.

Oh, so you're setting it on the plate?

Yeah, and then I've got to cut another small circle

-out of the top of that...

-Right.

..to set the souffle in.

OK, so it's not a huge souffle.

He's cutting a bit of the panna cotta out

cos he's going to put the hot souffle next to it which makes me wonder

is that the right thing, unless this product he's using

to set his panna cotta will withstand the heat.

All I know is - put something hot next to something cold

it's going to melt it, so let's wait and see.

Current leader David is drawing on his training as a pastry chef

to hold on to his lead but he's got lots of elements

to bring together for his World War II remembrance dessert.

His lemon and poppy seed shortbread goes into the oven

but the stress is starting to show.

-Ah, you

-BLEEP.

-BLEEP

-sake.

BLEEP.

What are you making?

Just remaking my raspberry sponge.

Remaking? Why?

Schoolboy error.

-I dropped the shell into the mix.

-Oh, the shell.

-Yeah.

David's obviously feeling the pressure because

he's cracked shell into his mixture.

So, he's had to do something twice

which is a bit of a pain in the neck.

Across the kitchen,

returning chef Mary Ann is also beginning to feel the pressure.

BLEEP.

Excuse me.

She brings her tuiles out of the oven before moulding them

into basket shapes.

So far, Mary Ann's lost points on presentation so she needs to execute

every element of her Queen Of Puddings perfectly today.

-Did you let it cool slightly before?

-Oh, yes.

-OK.

-And then you mould it when it's just on the...

-That's right.

That's too brittle. Not going to play ball.

-That one might.

-Yet, but that's

-BLEEP,

-isn't it?

-Oh, yeah.

Mary Ann has no choice but to remake her tuiles.

I've done tuiles a thousand times. These are giving me a problem

because I've got so many other things

to think about at the same time.

And the timing on each one is crucial.

-Mary Ann, your tuile's going everywhere.

-Oh, dammit.

-Oh,

-BLEEP.

I hate them.

-So is that your third batch in the oven now?

-This will be, yeah.

It's not been third time lucky, then, Mary Ann?

Former army cadet and TA soldier David

has a strong military family background,

so getting to the commemorative banquet this year

means everything.

So I was really lucky enough to get over to Normandy

to go and have a look at the war graves. It's mind-blowing.

When you're walking through the massive graveyards, it's just...

-It takes your breath away.

-< Yeah.

Makes me really feel...you know,

this dessert really pays tribute to these guys

and the people in this country who sacrificed so much for our country.

-Yeah.

-It's amazing.

-Really amazing experience.

Over 4,000 fallen Commonwealth soldiers are buried

at the Bayeux Cemetery in Normandy.

And for David, there were some very personal connections.

I've just noticed one of the graves from a soldier

who was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers from my regiment.

I... It's a little bit of time. It's very, very sad.

It's just mind-boggling really.

I just want to do the best I possibly can with the food

I put on the plate and be at the banquet at the end to pay ultimate

homage to the guys who are still here today,

and to say thank you really.

To find out more about the remarkable events

of that fateful day,

David visited the first house in France to be liberated

during the capture of Pegasus Bridge,

an objective that was imperative to the success

of the D-Day landings.

Owner, Arlette Gondree, has lived here all her life,

and has kept the cafe going

as a shrine of remembrance to which D-Day veterans regularly return.

What was it like during the time of occupation?

We had hardly anything to eat, we had no clothes, no shoes,

and we lived in fear.

You were four at the time when the British came.

What was the feeling like?

Very frightening. But the parents had warned us

that something was going to be very, very soon happening,

and we would have a better life.

During the battle for Pegasus Bridge,

the cafe was used as a makeshift medical refuge.

This table is the table that actually would receive

-the wounded on their stretchers.

-Yeah.

They would bring them in here, two soldiers, lay them on here

and then straight into the dining room...

-God.

-..where they would be operated on.

My mother was a trained nurse...

-Yeah.

-..and there were two medics.

-Yeah.

-It was a mean of survival, and we were lucky.

-Yeah.

-We are extremely lucky to be alive.

-Yeah.

To me, Madame Gondree,

with the story she had about the hardship

she had to go through is awe-inspiring.

I want to make this dish sing just to remember

the sacrifices that the French

and also the British soldiers went through on D-Day and Normandy,

and to have the remembrance there on the plate will be fantastic.

Focused on honouring D-Day and those who didn't return,

David's marching on with his lemon and poppy seed dessert.

He tops his lemon mousse with remade raspberry sponge

and leaves to chill...

..before rolling out the mix for his poppy seed brandy snaps

which need to both cool and set in time for plate up.

David, you've been criticised by Angela before

-about how many elements your dish has.

-Yeah.

-Are you still happy to keep the five that you've got?

-I think I'm fine.

You can talk, Andy. You've got four elements on yours.

And you got a souffle.

It's more pressure on you, Andy, than me, mate.

Ambitious Andy gets to work on his blackberry sorbet

before soaking bread in blackberry juice for his summer pudding.

Next, he checks the rice pudding puree which will form the base

of his souffle, but there's a problem.

-How's it going, Andy?

-My rice pudding base has just split.

OK. So how are you going to rectify that?

I might have a little tiny bit of cream.

-I hope it'll bind it back together.

-OK.

But I'm also going to start another one of those well, just in case.

Everybody's making mistakes today.

The pressure is just so high, and everyone wants to get to Friday.

With plate up nearing, Andy's not the only one struggling.

Mary Ann's got an ice cream issue.

Looks a bit hard and crumbly from here.

That can be remedied.

Please!

What are you up to, Mary Ann?

-BLEEP

-up the ice cream.

It's curdled, Angela.

What will you do instead? Leave it off?

-No, I'm not. I'm going to make another batch.

-OK. Good.

That can't be helped. I can't only put half my dish out.

OK, all right.

-Well, I'm going to let you get on with it.

-Sorry.

With Mary Ann, she's split her ice cream.

The poor woman was near to tears. Basically split.

It's just turned into butter.

You know, is over-whipped and its overworked

so she has to make a fresh one.

Luckily, competitive chef David is first to serve his

Lemon And Poppy remembrance dessert.

-I think it's my best dish.

-You're scaring me.

He starts his plate with a raspberry powder poppy

with a black icing centre and poppy seeds.

Next, smears of lemon curd followed by poppy seed brandy snaps,

topped with poppies made from icing.

He adds raspberry sponge covered with lemon mousse

and mini lemon and poppy shortbreads.

Can I just make one minor, tiny comment?

-Yeah.

-You missed a shortbread biscuit.

I know, yeah, I've just seen that.

Finally, raspberries, raspberry gel and evaporated milk ice cream.

There we go.

-What do you think, Andy?

-It looks really pretty.

-Mary Ann?

-Scares the pants off me.

-Scares the pants... Come on.

Let's go.

-This is exactly as you visualised it and practised it?

-Yeah, yeah.

So, Mary Ann, what do you think?

I feel like it's a work of art and therefore shouldn't be touched.

With the sponge, you made it twice?

I was kind of just rushing and slipped and just got eggshell in.

And do you think that the fact that you've been a pastry chef before

has given you the edge here?

Yeah, it's helped me out a lot, yeah.

The shortbread buttery enough for you?

I feel, it breaks down really nice.

I think the little biscuit's lovely.

Yeah, it's nice. It's got a good crunch.

-And then what's this?

-That's raspberry sugar.

-That's the colour you wanted?

-I would have liked a bit more red.

It's a good little bit of artwork.

Certainly is.

-This is a poppy seed tuile?

-It's a brandy snap mix.

And that's thin enough for you to eat or too thick?

-I think if I went thinner it'd be too, too delicate.

-OK.

My teeth are sticking together.

I'm going to lose a filling.

Does this tell a story to you?

It's typical of remembrance for me.

If that got to the banquet, he would have done the veterans proud.

And what would you score?

-Between eight and nine, for me.

-OK.

It's got to be a nine.

I'd give it an eight, personally.

Finished at last, I think.

Don't know what Angela's thinking.

I couldn't have done any better.

Next to plate up is returning contender Mary Ann.

She's desperate to leapfrog Andy's one-point lead

to land in the judge's chamber tomorrow.

Lovely.

She tops her lemon breadcrumb custards with

thick layers of hot raspberry jam...

-I'm under control.

-..pipes meringue over the top...

..sprinkles with sugar,

and finishes in the oven.

-You are right there, Mary Ann?

-Yeah.

Next, she makes the coulis for her raspberry ripple...

..before bringing out her puddings.

The Lord is with me. For this, at least.

It's the moment of truth for her new batch of ice cream.

Thank God it's worked!

Mary Ann ripples her raspberry coulis through the ice cream...

..and serves with raspberries in her third-time-lucky tuile baskets.

Wow, looks really nice, Mary Ann.

Well done, dear, calm down.

-So, you made it again then?

-Yes.

-Great.

-So, your dessert is called...?

-Queen Of Puddings.

Lovely. Looks fit for a queen. Right.

Well, let go and eat it.

Is the presentation what you wanted to achieve?

You don't feel one overpowers the other?

The main ingredient is the Queen Of Puddings

-These are edible garnishes.

-Sure.

-Simple, clean, tidy.

-Yeah, simple

-but elegant.

-Yeah.

-Had a little issue with the ice cream?

-Not a little issue, Angela.

A very big issue.

It's a good flavour but I think it's got a funny feel like it's split.

The tuile, is that the size you wanted?

I would rather it was smaller but I left my tuile moulds at home.

Right.

The custard, in a way, with the bread,

that's the consistency you wanted?

-Exactly the consistency I wanted.

-OK.

Bread's set lovely down the bottom.

Enough jam or too much jam?

I think it's possibly a little too much jam.

I've made it quite sweet.

A tad on the sweet side but I think it's really nice.

If you put that in front of someone

would they necessarily think that was linked to the Second World War?

Well, I would hope that people would remember,

-you're using up stale bread.

-Yeah.

You're only using two eggs.

-I'm a little nervous.

-I think it's going to be very close

between me and Mary Ann.

What would you score it?

After the disasters I've had today with this, I don't know.

-I think it should be a good seven.

-I agree with you there.

It's a seven.

I'm not sure what Angela was thinking

but she did eat quite a lot of it.

Particularly the Queen Of Puddings itself.

But I have to confess, I was enjoying it too.

SHE LAUGHS

Last to plate up is young gun Andy who's determined to stay ahead

of Mary Ann and secure a place in front of the judges

with his Great British Blackberry dessert.

But having remade his rice pudding souffle base,

there's another problem.

-It's gone again.

-BLEEP.

All right, use the first one.

-It split, the same as the first one did.

-Oh, sweetheart.

Andy has no choice but to go back to his original rice pudding.

He adds blackberry puree...

before mixing in meringue...

and piping into small moulds.

Andy's souflees go into the oven.

Time to pray.

He assembles his mini summer puddings and places them

on his panna cotta, followed by boozy blackberries.

Andy keeps an eye on his souffles which must be timed to

perfection in order to rise.

This is the tense bit.

Blackberry sorbet goes onto his plates...

They're certainly coming up.

Yeah, they're coming.

And finally, it's time for the souffles to come out.

Andy finishes his poppy plate presentation with a glass lid.

-Andy, how are you doing?

-So relieved, you would not believe it.

-Wow, risen. Happy with that?

-Yeah, very happy.

Right, let's go and taste it.

-So, blackberry four ways, yeah?

-Yes.

That looks like a stunning dessert.

Looks very nice, doesn't it?

Everything as you wanted?

I had a few issues trying to get the souffle absolutely right.

The base was splitting as I was making it.

It come together in the end luckily.

It's a little tiny bit dense.

It still rose which I was really happy about.

Maybe a little bit heavy for me for a souffle.

And is that the flavour you wanted for the panna cotta?

There's a lot of different blackberry elements

so I wanted something mellow.

I can barely detect any blackberry in there.

I wouldn't say it's blackberry or a panna cotta.

-It's more like a jelly, isn't it?

-Yes.

-And sorbet?

-Sorbet's beautiful.

It's the best part of the dish in my opinion.

It's nice, light.

-Oh, it's fabulous.

-Yeah.

Then you've got your summer pudding here.

Is it too small or that's the size you wanted?

I think that's the size I wanted really.

Bit nondescript really, isn't it?

Do you think that tells a story on a plate for you?

First thing you think of when you see a poppy is remembrance.

Do you think he's done enough to overhaul you, Mary Ann?

I really don't know.

-You all right, Andy?

-Yeah, it wasn't perfect

but I'm happy as I was able to put a souffle up

and get it finished.

It all comes down to the last course on this one, cos we're so close.

-Yeah.

-Cos I can't call it who's going to go through.

Nor can I.

It's down to Angela now. We'll just have to see what she thinks.

-All done and dusted.

-Finally.

Only two of you can go through to the judges' chamber.

I'm going to have to start with you, David.

For your Lemon And Poppy with raspberry,

a lot going on in this plate.

And for me, I didn't think the sort of purple poppy worked.

I understood how it looked on the plate but I thought, you know,

it's purple, really should be a red poppy.

Didn't really need it, in my opinion.

I also think the brandy snap could've been a bit thinner.

However...

all the elements did come together really well.

I thought your lemon and a poppy seed shortbread was delicious.

And likewise, with your lemon mousse and your raspberry sponge....

and your theme of remembrance. You could see it on the plate.

Mary Ann.

Your Queen Of Puddings with raspberry ripple ice cream.

For me, it was your best looking dish of the week.

I also thought it tasted fantastic.

I loved the custard with the breadcrumbs.

I thought it was absolutely delicious.

And your meringue - exactly as you wanted it.

You know, crunchy on top, slightly chewy.

However...

your raspberry ripple ice cream, I know there are issues.

It was too buttery on the palate,

-there was not something right. It didn't...

-No, I agree.

..do it justice.

So, Andy.

For your Great British Blackberry

you really set yourself a big challenge there.

And the souffle, despite what happened, made it in the end.

Your blackberry sorbet was absolutely delicious.

However...

For me, I think the souffle's too small a mould

and therefore the mixture too dense for it.

Your panna cotta - it was slightly too firm.

The summer pudding, for me, I didn't feel was a summer pudding

but I think if you took away the actual poppy plate,

would you look at that and think, "Does that say remembrance to me?"

So, for the scores.

With a score...

of nine...

..and going through to the judges' chamber...

..is David.

-Congratulations.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

So, two chefs left...

..but unfortunately only one of you can go through to the next level.

So, Mary Ann...

..for your Queen Of Puddings...

I'm giving you...

..a seven.

And, Andy...

For your Great British Blackberry...

..I'm giving you...

..a five.

So, Mary Ann, you're through to the judges' chamber.

Oh, you're joking!

Congratulations.

-Well done, my dear.

-Commiserations, Andy.

-Oh, baby.

-You've got to do it all again tomorrow now.

-I know!

-BLEEP.

-Well done. Well done, Mary Ann. Well done.

-Well done, my dear.

You know yourself, Andy, your pudding was your letdown.

-Back next year, yeah?

-Oh, definitely, yeah.

-Onwards and upwards, yeah?

I was convinced I was going home.

Well, if you carry on I might change, you know? So...

THEY LAUGH

-OK, Thank you, guys.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-MARY ANN:

-God Almighty.

David and Mary Ann will cook for the judges tomorrow

but Andy must leave the competition.

It was so close and then it was just one point in it.

Somebody has to lose, and unfortunately it was me this time.

-Oh, Mary Ann, don't worry.

-No, I know.

As far as I was concerned, you two were a shoo-in.

I'm actually bowled over. It's a brilliant result

at the end of the week. Started off a bit dodgy but

I got there in the end.

-I'm going to have a sleepless night.

-Well, me too.

You got four judges there now, you know.

-Big critics, aren't they? So...

-Oh, yes, they are.

'I've never been so shocked

'in my life.'

I've made it to the judges' chamber for the second time.

Wow.

Tomorrow, Mary Ann and David go head-to-head...

I'm a little bit nervous if I'm honest.

..cooking their dishes again for the judges.

-Oh.

-BLEEP.

The food must be delicious...

It's awful.

It's awful food.

..as only one chef can win the last place in the finals.

The winner is...